PLASTIC WASTE
Our Commitment
Reducing plastic production, consumption, and waste to keep human-made waste out of Virginia’s streams, rivers, and coastal waters.
THE ISSUE
Building on the growing concern and increased willingness to take action to decrease the amount of plastic waste in Virginia’s environment, now is the time to craft policies and laws that will keep man-made waste out of Virginia’s streams, rivers, and coastal waters. We can do this by eliminating the most harmful types of mismanaged waste, incentivizing sustainable disposal of what we do use, and prioritizing the shift to sustainable and reusable products.
Extending Producer Responsibility Towards Mattress Stewardship
Virginia needs an established mattress stewardship program
Clean Water & Flood Resilience Recap: 2026 Bill Outcomes
Virginia Conservation Network advocated for 45 bills this General Assembly session that protect Virginians from flooding impacts, monitor toxic pollution, reduce plastic pollution & waste, and more.
Bill of the Day: Reduce, Reuse, Extended Producer Responsibility, Recycle
Extended Producer Responsibility is the concept that manufacturers are responsible for the entire lifecycle of their product, particularly for end-of-life disposal and recycling. These programs shift waste management burdens away from consumers, local governments, and taxpayers to the producers, which incentivizes producers to design programs and products to be more sustainable, reusable, or recyclable.
Clean Water & Flood Resilience Recap: 2025 Bill Outcomes
Virginia Conservation Network advocated for 25 bills this General Assembly session that protect communities from flooding, reduce toxic pollution in water, reduce plastic litter, and more.
Bill of the Day: Ending Plastic Pellet Pollution
Virginia must take immediate action to reduce or eliminate plastic pellet pollution.
Bill of the Day: Addressing Virginia’s Plastics Crisis
VCN is supporting efforts to address Virginia's plastics crisis, improving our understanding of the impact of plastic pollution on our environment and health.
RESOURCES
Report: Coming Full Circle
Clean Virginia Waterways has released an extensive report highlighting the disparities between the profits of plastic and consumer goods manufacturers at the cost of taxpayers.
Report: Littered Balloons in Virginia’s Coastal Environments
Clean Virginia Waterways has released an extensive report highlighting the disparities between the profits of plastic and consumer goods manufacturers at the cost of taxpayers.
Report: What Plastic Pollution Costs Taxpayers
Clean Virginia Waterways has released an extensive report highlighting the disparities between the profits of plastic and consumer goods manufacturers at the cost of taxpayers.
Report: Mondelēz International and Opposition to Plastic Pollution Policies
Clean Virginia Waterways released a report highlighting Mondelēz International's efforts to stop the implementation of proven plastic pollution reduction policies in Virginia.
Banning Polystyrene in Restaurants
Katie Register and Zach Huntington from Clean Virginia Waterways provided commentary in the Richmond Times-Dispatch that phasing out polystyrene containers will not economically burden restaurants, as sustainable alternatives are available, affordable, and enhance customer support.
Report: Feeding the Plastics Industrial Complex
The Environmental Integrity Project released a report examining the disproportionate impact of 50 plastics plants on nearby vulnerable communities, including Black and Latino communities.
